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Thursday, March 15, 2012

Mildew & Elbow Grease

This post has been updated with new images.

The chair was waiting to be taken to the great landfill beyond in a neighborhood trash pile in Lake Park, Florida.

While driving by a huge pile of yard clippings, there it was upside down and half buried. I almost dared not touch it because of all the mold/mildew (and I had to wonder about its previous life), but after much hem-hawing about whether it was going to be worth the time I'd have to spend on it, I hauled it home.

I ended up getting very cozy with the mildew by the time I was done. It took days to scrub and peel off the coating that had been ruined by the exposure to all that grunge. I refinished the wood as well.

Not long after picking this up, I came across the old suitcase at a garage sale for $2.00.

One day I realized that the two were a color match. I wanted to make a footstool out of the suitcase, so the pairing was ideal. The suitcase redo was a lot of work and it's not quite sturdy enough for just any use. The legs didn't have enough of a rigid surface to bite into in order to hold really steady. If the user is careful, it works fine. Even so, for looks, it completes the chair and they make an attractive couple. The step stool is also useful as a side table for magazines or a hot cup of coffee. I tore out the dirty, stained and stinky fabric inside and lined it with burlap. It makes a good place to store some magazines or books. The result was worth the effort, and I enjoy having them adorn my old school Florida Room complete with terrazzo.

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